Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai renewed his demand for an immediate meeting with the Union environment minister on Wednesday over proposals to install devices for artificial rain to control soaring pollution levels as pre-Diwali air quality worries deepen. Rai said no response had been received to his earlier letters to the central government on the issue. Since the levels of pollution are expected to exacerbate between November 1 and 15, the minister emphasized that the measures to check it should be undertaken immediately.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference on Wednesday, Rai appealed for immediate measures, from artificial rain, to counter the adverse impacts of air quality, an issue being notched up at the top of the burning ones in the capital. At a time when Delhi is preparing for its peak pollution season, which generally arrives during the festival of Diwali, the minister expressed concern. Rai reiterates that after writing to the Union environment minister earlier, still no response was received, thus delaying on-the-ground measures to deal with the pollution crisis further.
The initiatives undertaken by the Delhi government under its 21-point Winter Action Plan to mitigate the levels of pollution in the city during the winter season have been explained, said Rai. A most important one among these is the 14-point anti-dust pollution campaign, which started on October 7 and zeroes in on the pollution created by construction activities that are now causing the deteriorating atmosphere of Delhi.
In this regard, instructions have been issued to the construction companies in the city on how to prevent dust pollution. Such measures include covering construction materials and controlling dust by sprinkling water over them. For strict compliance, Rai himself visited two construction sites and also met the representatives of 120 construction companies in a meeting held in the Delhi Secretariat. Instructing the meeting guided the companies to frame guidelines and train the workers on proper ways of dust control. Sustaining the efforts of most of the companies to comply with measures, the Delhi government has taken the initiative of the “Hari Ratan Award” to motivate proper participation in the exercise to reduce pollution.
Rai pressed the fact that the government has already started inspecting construction sites in the city to implement these standards. Penalties have also been prescribed to violate these anti-dust measures for the sake of keeping the businesses from adding to Delhi’s pollution. Daily inspections would be carried out during the winter months also to be sure that the standards are not flouted, and more crackdowns against offenders would be seen.
The artificial rain thus becomes a significant move by the ministry as it spearheads the overall campaign against pollution within the city. Artificial rain, otherwise referred to as cloud seeding, injects chemicals into clouds for purposes of inducing rain; it has been used as a supposed measure for removing airborne pollutants from the atmosphere. But if the central government thinks its use is feasible and effective, that is still waiting to be seen.
Conclusion
The city will face its toughest phase of pollution in the coming months, and the efforts are focused on strict, immediate, and effective measures to help the city’s residents conquer the hazardous impact of air pollution. Gopal Rai’s renewed request for a meeting with the Union environment minister emphasizes that artificial rain can act as one solution to countering peak-hour pollution. The Delhi government is taking steps to address the issue through continuous efforts to curb dust pollution and the strict enforcement of anti-pollution guidelines, but much will depend on the cooperation and action from the central government in the coming weeks.
Source: PTI